NEW YORK CITY (CBSNewYork) – You may think of science as the class you couldn’t wait to ditch in high school – but this week, all the cool kids are into it.

The World Science Festival returned to New York City Wednesday night, and will be in town until Sunday, June 5th. A high-profile combination of beauty and brains will unite for the decentralized festival, set to take place across venues in the five boroughs with about 50 events.

The opening night gala, held at Lincoln Center, featured a special reading in which Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped into the role of Marie Curie for a play written by Emmy-award winner Alan Alda.

Other celebrities like Amy Adams, Allison Janney, Liev Schreiber and Julie Taymor were also in attendance.

Tickets and event guides are available on the World Science Festival Web site.